I Still Believe
by ZachaRicO
Summary: "No words will ever be able to describe my grief, nor will anyone else ever be able to fill this hole in my heart. My heart belongs to you, and it always will." Advanceshipping


The graveyard remained desolate and gloomy, though the sky was only half-cloudy. The rain had ceased falling some time ago, but it made no difference. The gravestones remained unchanged, while the casket in the middle of the cemetery sat beside its final resting place. The lid hadn't been placed yet, so the body inside could still be seen through glass. Remarkably, time seemingly didn't make a mark on it, as it still looked the same as it did when the life inside of it left. The only signs that made it clear that this was a dead body were the cold hands and the closed eyes, all unmoving. Its mouth was open ever so slightly, giving it a look of innocence and peace. The brunette hair, which once hung at the sides, was limp and lifeless, slightly tangled in the dust on the casket floor, though not enough to ruin its integrity.

The body's face, while lifeless, still seemed to radiate the same aura it gave off when it was alive: innocence, warmth, and love. It remained the same hue it retained when it was alive: a soft white. This only made the pain worse for the only person left standing over the body: a raven-haired teenager whose attire, usually lit up with a lot of blue and a red hat, was consumed in darkness: from his signature hat and fingerless gloves to his jacket and pants. The only color remaining was the auburn in his eyes, but that was barely visible as his eyes were so disfigured from shedding tears day and night. Anyone who looked at him and didn't know better would never have guessed that this was Ash Ketchum, aspiring Pokemon Master.

His arms were folded on top of the casket as he leaned on them, shoulders heaving from his sobbing. His eyes were shut tight as the tears flowed, so he couldn't see the body. Then again, he didn't want to. It would only amplify the pain. Clenching his fists, he slowly sunk to his knees, leaning against the casket while continuing to sob. He lightly pounded the casket with his fist, sputtering something unintelligible.

He'd been doing this for some time by now. After the funeral, everyone followed the casket to its final resting place, where the coroner informed them that he would not lower the casket until everyone had said their final goodbyes. Some of them made quick goodbyes and left afterwards, while others stayed longer, reminiscing the good times they shared with their lost friend, family, daughter, sister...and girlfriend. After two hours, everyone had left...but Ash stayed behind. No one bothered coming to him, as everyone who knew what he and the dead girl had gone through knew that his pain was probably the greatest of all. He was the closest one to her; he loved her with everything that he was. Some of his friends even said that his heart was connected to her's in some way, though there were few who could explain the true nature of this soul connection. Now that she was gone, it felt like his heart was torn in half, leaving a gaping hole that no one else could fill.

So he stayed there, eyes pouring tears like faucets, stopping every now and again to recharge, and angrily asking why this had to happen. Finally, after some time, another figure walked onto the dismal scene. His eyes instantly caught onto Ash's heaving figure. A strange mix of compassion and irritation worked its way through his veins, and he frowned, although you couldn't tell: he was always frowning. He walked up to him and just stood there, listening a moment to the grief in his companion's voice. His crimson eyes closed a moment as he remembered a time of his own suffering that went like this.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and spoke: "You miss her, don't you?"

His reply was just more sobbing as the grief-stricken hero lamented his lost loved one.

"Ash," the trainer's companion said again, "you've been here for three days and nights. In that time, you haven't had anything to eat or drink." He held out a cup of water. "You need to take care of yourself."

Finally, Ash looked up, eyes still marred by his anguish. He didn't even smile as he took the glass and drank, but he did exhale afterwards, meaning he was content. "Thank you, Shadow."

The ultimate lifeform merely nodded his head. "It's the least I could do." Ash returned the nod and looked back at the casket, eyes threatening to cry again. "Don't cry," Shadow insisted.

"Excuse me?!" Ash glared at him.

"You've been crying for three days. Don't you think that's more than enough?"

Ash clenched his fists in anger. "No, it's not!" he growled. "The girl I love is dead, and it's all my fault! I should have left her behind while I went in to stop that monster." Tears brimmed on his eyes, but they subsided a moment. "Why am I even lamenting to you of all people?" he spat, tears in his eyes again. "You wouldn't have a clue what I'm going through."

Now it was Shadow's turn to get angry. "You think I don't know?" he ground his teeth, fists clenched. "What, do you think you're the only one who loved May? You think you're the only one who knows what it feels like to lose someone dear to you?! Well you're not! I've endured suffering like you couldn't possibly imagine!" He stared angrily at Ash, only to see that the raven-haired trainer wasn't listening and had gone back to sobbing over her casket. Realizing his demeanor was only making things worse, he let his fists loose and breathed deeply. "I know you're hurt, Ash," he whispered. "And you're probably right. I may not know just how painful this is to you, no matter how painful it is for me. But you gotta think for a moment: is this what May would have wanted you to do? To spend the rest of your life sobbing over her grave?"

Ash looked up at him, eyes still shedding tears. "No, she wouldn't, but –"

"For as long as I've known her," Shadow continued, "I've noticed that she had a spirit that may have been delicate, but it was also unwavering. She never gave up, even when the whole world was against her. Do you know where she got that?" Ash said nothing. He simply stared at Shadow in silence. "She got it from you. She was so uncertain of life before...but when you came along, you gave her something to live for. She told me once that before you came into her life, she'd lost hope that life would ever be the best that it could be. When you came to her and showed her the beauty of the world around us, you gave her a new reason to live beyond the shallow life her family had carved out for her." He looked into his eyes firmly. "You were the reason in her life that convinced her to believe in miracles again."

Ash blinked, then snorted in disgust, turning away. "Miracles," he spat. "Give me a break."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he growled. "Miracles are a joke. You should know that."

Shadow was taken aback. _I've never seen him so down._ "You're right: I should." Ash looked back up, intrigued. "But I don't believe it. Do you know why?" Ash shook his head. "Then I guess I never told you about Maria."

"Who?"

"Maria...she was my best friend when I was first created on the ARK. We spent everyday together, playing, talking, doing whatever. But when Team Rocket attacked, she was fatally wounded. As she was dying, I promised her that I would look out for humanity and make sure they didn't suffer like we suffered. Her dying act was pulling the trigger that sent the capsule I was in down to Earth, saving my life.

"When I awoke 50 years later, I had forgotten my promise and was intent on getting revenge. I didn't believe in miracles. But when I first saw May in that room on New Island, something compelled me to save her, even though I would have been content to let her die in the aftermath. I took her to the ARK, and she slowly pierced my hard heart, revealing to the both of us who I really was.

"Later, when I met her again as we fought against the Black Arms, she selflessly saved my life, showing me love that only Maria had shown me. That was the day I realized that miracles still exist. I devoted myself to protecting her. When she died, I was surprised at myself. That would have been the perfect time for me to break down and renounce my promise. But as I watched you cradle her in your arms, heart breaking into a million pieces, I felt no bitterness, no anger, no hatred. I felt sadness, but besides that I only felt...peace."

Ash was confused. "But...why?"

"Because...she died for you."

Ash just blinked. "What's that got to do with anything?!"

"Her death was not in vain. She gave her life to save yours. She loved you so much she was willing to die rather than let you die, and I know you would have done the same thing in a heartbeat. That is the perfection of love; there is nothing greater."

Ash blinked, tears welling up in his eyes once again. Shadow saw this and turned away to leave. "I'll leave you here until you're ready. But don't stay –"

He felt a hand tug him back. He looked back and saw his companion's eyes, the auburn starting to shine through once again.

"Thank you," Ash said, a tear softly rolling down each cheek.

Shadow nodded, his expression soft, and gently pulled his hand away as he walked away. Ash turned back to the casket, standing on his feet. Slowly, he removed the glass covering, allowing him to see the body inside without the view being distorted.

"He's right," he sighed. "Your death was the proof of your love...our love. You gave your life so I could live. No words will ever be able to describe my grief, nor will anyone else ever be able to fill this hole in my heart. My heart belongs to you, and it always will." He slowly stroked her cheek: so soft, even in death. "I will always love you, but it's time for me to move on. Before I do, though, I want to give a proper farewell."

With that, he leaned down towards her face and slowly kissed her, lingering for a moment before pulling back. Even though she was dead, the sensation of kissing her didn't change in the slightest. "I know I taught you everything you know," he continued, still inches from her face, "and that what you did, you may not have done if it weren't for me. But the truth is, you brought a lot of joy to my life, too. You gave me a lot, even before we became a thing. You were a true blessing to my life."

He stood up straight and reached for the glass lid. "Thank you, May...for being my miracle, and…" he choked on his words as he placed the lid over her once again, tears slowly rolling down his face.

"Goodbye," he finally whispered.

With that, he turned around and started off in a new direction.

* * *

><p><strong>A little bit about this fic: The night before I wrote this, I watched "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." (a decent movie) The ending was bittersweet and the inspiration for this fic.<strong>

**That being said, I don't know whether or not I'll make this canon to my ongoing series. I really just wrote this on a whim. In any case, I hope you liked it. It's my first real tragic piece.**


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